Automatic water-elevator



(No Model.)

H. R. ESTES.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

AUTOMATIC WATER ELEVATOR.

Patented Apr. 7 1891.

'Z \a rfim- Lfi 5: df a N UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HUBERT R. ESTES, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

AUTOMATIC WATER-ELEVATO R.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 450,062, dated April'7, 1891.

Application filed September 8, 1890. Serial No. 364,293. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I,.HUBERT R. EsrEs, of the city of St. Louis, in theState of Missouri, have invented a certain new and useful Iniprovementin Automatic Water-Elevators, of which the following is a full, clear,and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,forming part of this specification.

My invention relates to an improved de vice for automatically raisingwater for railway-trains; and my invention consists in features ofnovelty hereinafter fully described, and pointed out in the claims.

Figure I is a Vertical section illustrative of my invention. Fig. II isan enlarged detail vertical section showing part of the bellows. Fig.III is an enlarged detail vertical section showing the valve of thebellows. Fig. IVis an enlarged detailtop view showing the valve of thebellows. Fig. V is an enlarged detail vertical section,showing the valveof the water-reservoir. Fig. VI is a view, part in elevation and part insection, showing the compressible portion of the track of a railway andthe bellows located beneath. Fig. VII is a top or plan view.

Referring to the drawings, 1 represents a well, in which is submerged atank or reservoir 2, provided at top with a valve 3. An enlarged view ofthe valve is shown in Fig. V. IVhen the reservoir is emptied, the valvewill open and the water in the well fills the reservoir 2, and then thevalve would be closed as soon as pressure is applied to the reservoir.

6 represents a tank into which the water is forced from the reservoir 2through a pipe 7.

My present invention relates to an automatic means for forcing the waterfrom the reservoir 2 into the tank 6. It consists of the bellows orothersuitable form of compressible air-chambers, communicating with thereservoir 2 through a pipe 9. The bellows is located in an opening 10,located beneath a section 11 of a railway-track 12. The section 11 has aspring-connection 13 with the track 12 at each end, and it also has ahinged joint 14 at its center or middle portion. 15 representscross-ties supporting the section 11 near the joint 14, and which restupon the u er surface of the bellows 8. The bellows lows is raised airenters through a valve 17,

which may be made of any ordinary construction, and which will close asthe bellows is depressed. The parts being in the position shown in Fig.VI and a train passing over, the section 11 of the track will be pressedonto the sills or timbers 18, the cross-ties 15 having'their endsarranged in and guided vertically by ways or notches 18, formed in thesides of the timbers 18. The cross-ties in descending cause the bellows8 to contract or close and the air therein to-be forced through the pipe9 into the reservoir 2, (the valve 3 closing under the pressure andpreventing the water from escaping thereat.) The air entering thereservoir forces the Water through the pipe 7 into the tankG. As soon asthe train leaves the section 11 of the track the springs 16 lift thebellows again, together with the section 11 of the track, and the airenters the bellows through the valve 17, ready for operation again whenthe next train passes over the section 11 of the track.

I thus provide a cheap and automatic waterelevator for railway-tracks,which will cost little or nothing to maintain.

I claim as my invention-- 1. In combination with a submerged reservoir,a water-tank, a pipe forming a communication between the reservoir andthe tank,

a suitable valve through which the reservoir is filled with water,abellows or compressible air-chamber, a pipe forming a communicationbetween the bellows and said reservoir, and a movable section 11 of arailway-track located over and adapted to operate said bellows,substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. The combination of a submerged Waterreservoir provided with asupply-valve, a tank, a pipe forming a communication'between thereservoir and tank, a bellows 8, a

pipe forming a communication between the bellows and reservoir, a valve17 and springs 16 in said bellows, a hinged section 11 of arailway-track, and the cr0ss-ties 15, located between the section 11 ofthe railway-track and the bellows, substantially as and for the purposeset forth.

3. The combination of the bellows, springs for holding said bellowsopen, a cross-tie supported on said bellows, the track supported on saidcross-tie, and the side timbers 1S, arranged under the track and havingvertical ways in which the ends of the cross-ties rise and fall,substantially as set forth.

4. The combination, with the rails 12, the bellows, and springsforholding said bellows open, of the section of track supported by saidbellows, and the yielding joints 13, connecting the said section to therails 12, the said section having the hinged joint 14 over the bellows,substantially as set forth.

5. The combination, with the rails 12, the bellows, and springs forholding said bellows open, of the section of track supported by saidbellows, the yielding joints 13, connecting both ends of said section tothe rails 12, the rails of said section being hinged over the bellows,and timbers for supporting the rails of said section when depressed,substantially as set forth.

HUBERT R. ESTES.

In presence oi:-

E. S. KNIGHT, THos. KNIGHT.

